• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About Me
  • Homemaking
    • Home Styling
      • Room Reveals
  • Recipe Box
    • Breakfast
    • Bread
    • Dessert
    • Ferments
    • Snacks
    • Condiments
  • Old Fashioned
    • Antiques
    • Canning
    • Sewing
  • Natural Home
    • Natural Kitchen
    • Apothecary
    • Natural Body
    • Natural Cleaning

The Homestyle Cottage

Old Fashioned Home Making

Welcome
Homemaking & Homemade

Vintage Inspired Cottage Kitchen Reveal

August 18, 2021 · Home Styling, Room Reveals

A country cottage inspired kitchen boasting lots of white for a bright and airy aesthetic. Elements of vintage inspired tile, beadboard, butcher block countertops, open shelves, and a farmhouse sink give the old world feel of a cozy cottage situated in the country. Styled with antiques and retro inspired appliances

country cottage kitchen

Wow, so this had been a long time coming. A year after the very first act of demolition and I can finally say the kitchen renovation is complete. I am so exited to be sharing it with you guys today!

This space was previously decked out in cheap linoleum, cabinetry from the 1950s, forest green countertops, and a not so charming stainless sink. It really needed a little TLC. Considering that 80% of the time I spend in my home is in the kitchen, I really wanted a bright and airy space to be in while cooking and baking.

The Before

outdated kitchen

The before of this kitchen was very plain with no character. The cabinetry was original to the house hence the niches beside the sink. Countertops were split between formica and epoxy.

outdated kitchen

Although the kitchen was ugly, it did hold the potential to be beautiful. Natural lighting was abundant and there was plenty of space to work with.

Luckily the appliances were in good standing. The fridge did go out during the renovation and I saw it as the perfect opportunity to purchase a more aesthetic fridge for the look.

Sharing a little “during the process” shot here. It’s always so neat to watch a renovation progress. This was the room about 70% done.

The After

mosaic tile floor with vintage farmhouse table white shaker style cabinets farmhouse sink and open shelving

I actually like that this kitchen wasn’t “picture perfect” or newly renovated. I saw it as the perfect opportunity to curate something a little more custom to my likes. The end result of taking a bland space and making it new and fresh was so gratifying.

white cottage kitchen with cafe curtains butcher block countertops and open shelves

The Elements

Mosaic Tile Flooring

The tile was a piece of this project that I almost didn’t go through with. After ripping up the linoleum and realizing the original subfloors were unlevel, my first thought was how expensive this could get trying to level out these floors. The contractor I chose suggested going with the natural contour of the floor, so that is what was done here. I chose a vintage inspired hex tile that replicates that unique look you find in older homes typically around the early 1900s era.

Simple Quaker Style Cabinets

Cabinetry was something I was originally not willing to invest any money in, but after ripping down the upper cabinets, I realized just how necessary it was. The wood was soft and the design of the base cabinets was not compatible with the countertops or sink I envisioned. Doing a modification was discussed, but looking into it, all of the knick knack fixes that were needed would end up costing a good bit. I would rather spend the money on getting brand new cabinets to have a fresh slate to lay countertops on.

I chose a quaker style in white by Lowes’ Roth + Allen line. The look here is simple and clean. The ordering process of these was very straightforward. I sat down with someone in the cabinetry department of Lowes to discuss options. She was able to design a layout very similar to the original with all new cabinets for under $2,500.

Butcher Block Countertops

vintage inspired glass storage jars for kitchen on oak butcher block counter tops.

These I knew I wanted from the get go. I must say though, Quartz did cross my mind at the beginning. But after looking the design over, I decided against the Quartz when I realized every piece of this room would be white.

The wood was the perfect option to add that warmth the space needed to break up all of the white. Butcher block was also the most budget friendly option for countertops. I was able to get the all of the materials I needed for under $700. And friend let me tell you, my countertop square footage is not small by any means. It was a total win, win!

Farmhouse Apron Sink

white single basin farmhouse apron sink with vintage chrome faucet and bread bin on butcher block countertop

We’ve seen these all over IG and Pinterest, but for good reason. They’re beautiful and functional. They really tie that “cottage kitchen” feel together. I would even go as far to say that farmhouse sinks have a furniture type of feel in the kitchen. They’re large and perfect for cleaning large cookware.

I always picture these types of sinks in quaint little homesteading cottages where baby farm animals can receive a bath and large quantities of fruits and vegetables can be soaked. Seeing this sink in my kitchen every time I walk in is like taking a little peek back in time. I added a chrome vintage inspired faucet with the classic “hot” and “cold” handles to complete the look.

Beadboard

vintage wire basket vintage cheese crate white ironstone china on open shelving

My first plan was for tile to be laid up to the ceiling. Subway tile specifically, but after getting the quote back for the floor and thinking over having two tiled parts of this room, I decided against it. Beadboard was the next adored choice.

I got the idea from an authentic section of beadboard that was lining the back of the original cabinetry. It was beautiful and timeless. It was a very common style used for walls and even ceilings in older homes. Shiplap, dare I say, was a little too trendy for me. So, beadboard it was. At $20 a sheet, it was a done deal.

Open Shelving

white beadboard backsplash butcherblock countertops corbels open shelves cream smeg toaster and white vintage dishwater

Last is open shelving and this is where I believe you can have the most fun. Decor can be switched up for different seasons of the year. The options for layering and styling various favorite pieces are endless! Tie the look together with beautiful corbels. It adds that finished dainty touch on the space.

Appliances & Antiques

vintage seltzer swing top bottles and antique art with gold frame on white open self

So I had this newly renovated cottage style kitchen and I couldn’t wait to add all of my antique and vintage pieces in to make it complete. I purchased some smaller Smeg appliances to fix the look. An unanticipated fridge breakdown mid renovation also left me looking for a new fridge.

Smeg was out of the question for this. I did want something that replicated the Smeg fridge. I found this much cheaper retro inspired fridge from wayfair for under $1,000. Although small, it is very impactful in the look of this Kitchen. It’s one of the first things people notice. Owning a small fridge isn’t a concern for me though and I’m happy with the choice.

white mosaic tile floor white quaker style cabinets butcher block countertops white retro fridge beadboard walls cottage charm

Overall, I’d say I’m fairly happy with how this little cottage inspired kitchen turned out. I did end up going over my budget, but do feel that was due to my lack of experience in renovations. I hope somewhere in this post you have found inspiration to add a little love to a room in your home. It doesn’t always have to be a complete remodel. Sometimes it can be as simple as choosing a new paint color. I have also written about 10 ways to make your home more homey, for those situations where a renovation is out of the question.

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog and reading about my cottage kitchen renovation. I have added sources below for items from my kitchen in case something caught your eye.

Shop this Kitchen

Mosaic Floor Tile

Vintage Inspired Faucet

Farmhouse Apron Sink

Butcher Block Counter Tops

Roth + Allen Quaker Cabinets

Drawer Pulls

Cabinet Handles

Beadboard

Pendant Light Fixture

Flush Mount Light Fixture

Smeg Toaster

Smeg Kettle

Classic Retro Fridge

Corbels

Filed Under: Home Styling, Room Reveals Tagged With: #Cottagestyle #cottagekitchen #farmhousekitchen

Share this post:

You might also like

Cozy Cottage Fall Blog Home Tour

Primary Sidebar

Search For

ABOUT ME

    1. Hey, I’m Lauren and I’m so glad you’re here!  I am a mother and lover of all things antique, homemade, natural, and old fashioned. I believe in the deep rooted love of home and it’s comfort. A sanctuary and pallet for creativity.  Thank you for joining me here as I share what I create and what inspires me along this home making journey. Learn more on me

here

    .

thehomestylecottage

Decided to take a chance and go for wallpaper in t Decided to take a chance and go for wallpaper in the bedrooms and I have zero regrets about it…despite the remonstration I received on the idea initially. The subtle pattern of this accent wall has brought so much interest into this room of plain white. Thinking I need to add a little wall paper anywhere I can now 🤔
Still over here doing all things strawberries. I s Still over here doing all things strawberries. I stopped buying strawberries throughout the year. I generally try to only eat / buy fruits that are naturally in season as a stretch to eat more sustainably. You could say I’ve been waiting for strawberry season since last summer 🤣 also wanted to make a recipe with a fraction of the sugar so praise God for Pomonas. This is my second season canning with this stuff. I love it! I write a blog post last week sharing this delicious recipe and created some cute printable labels to download for free as well. #homecanning #canning
Strawberry season is in full swing here in South C Strawberry season is in full swing here in South Carolina. Making all of the most delicious desserts since we went picking. And added this fresh strawberry ice cream recipe to the blog this week 🍓
Follow on Instagram

Footer

Recent Posts

  • Easy and Simple Sourdough Discard Crepes
  • The Best Fresh Garden Basil Pesto with Walnuts
  • Flaky Sourdough Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe
  • Simple Old Fashioned Blackberry Cobbler – Grandma’s Recipe
  • Easy DIY Gathered Drop Cloth Curtains Sewing Tutorial

The Homestyle Cottage © 2025 · Theme By Coded Creative

Copyright © 2025 · Magnolia on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in